Morrison
A Scottish and English surname meaning “son of Morris” or “son of Maurice,” also used in Scotland for Gaelic names linked to St. Mary.
The #250 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,549 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Morrison is primarily a patronymic surname formed from Morris or Maurice plus the English suffix -son, so its basic meaning is “son of Morris/Maurice.” Morris itself goes back to the Latin name Mauritius, meaning “Moorish” or “dark-skinned,” which came into English through French forms of Maurice. In the Scottish Highlands, the name was also used as an English rendering of Gaelic surnames such as MacGilleMhoire, literally “son of the servant of Mary.”
History
The surname appears in both English and Scottish family lines, and 19th-century writers noted that some different Morrison families may have had different origins. In Scotland, especially in the Highlands and islands, it often stands for Gaelic names connected with devotion to Mary rather than simply a direct descent from a man called Morris. The name became common enough to be firmly established in Britain and later spread widely through emigration to North America and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Scottish usage, Morrison could be a translation of a Gaelic clan name, not just a straightforward English patronymic.
From the historical record
“&c.] MORRISON, Morris's or Maurice's Son: v. Maurice. In the Highlands, Morrison is used to translate the Gael. M'Gille-Moire = Son of the Servant or Disciple of Mary [v. Gilmour] MORROW (Celt.) = Murray, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)